
Photo by Tom Jenz
Kyle Wallace
In the world of Milwaukee radio, Kyle Wallace does it all. As community relations director for 101.7 The Truth Black Talk, he built the platform from the ground up when Good Karma Brands launched the station in 2020. Wallace also hosts his own daily talk show in the 12-1 p.m. slot. An hour later, he co-hosts the Kyle, Brust & Nortman sports talk show on 94.5 FM. I’ve listened to his versatile delivery many times. He can do comedy, drama, or play it straight.
Wallace is native to Milwaukee. “My mom was an administrator for MPS,” he said. “My dad was a supervisor for the city of Milwaukee. Both were public workers and passionate about the community and giving back. We first lived near Capital Drive and then later near Good Hope Road. I got bussed into the Whitefish Bay School District as a Chapter 220 student, kindergarten through Whitefish Bay High School.”
Wallace and I were conversing in a Walker’s Point coffee shop. Alacrity could be his middle name, most of his talk instantly enthusiastic.
You were attending a mostly white high school. What was that like?
I loved it. The course work was rigorous. I played sports and got opportunities for networking and good relationships.
Did you develop a career interest in high school?
I was interested in sports specifically but also politics and current events. I always wanted to be in the sports world. In high school, my friend and I did a 20-minute radio show. I knew I wanted to be in radio for my future. I went to UW Whitewater to play football and played one year. In my freshman year, I got into radio broadcasting and did that all four college years. I had a show called It’s a Rap with DJ and KWall, then later I worked my way up to be sports director at the college radio station 91.7 The Edge.
I got to do football games as well. Summers, I interned for ESPN Milwaukee.
I understand you graduated from college in 2012 with a degree in broadcast journalism. What did you do after that?
I went to Central Michigan University and got my master’s degree in sports administration. After I got out of school, I worked in higher education. I came back to Milwaukee and became an admissions counselor at UW Parkside for three years and later at Marquette until 2020. I tried to show young people the importance of planning, of being educated, of being trained. I was also working part time at ESPN Milwaukee for Good Karma Brands, who now owns 101.7 Black Talk Radio.
You were involved in creating this new Black Talk radio station. How did that come about?
After the George Floyd murder and the protests, the white CEO of Good Karma Brands, Craig Karmazin, wanted to do something about inequity. His Milwaukee staff did not reflect the Milwaukee community, which is 40% Black. For instance, there were no Black on-air personalities at WTMJ radio, his biggest station. He asked me and Cherie Harris to develop a radio station that reflects the perspectives of African American residents and their issues. We became 101.7 The Truth, a platform that embraces Milwaukee’s Black community. Our goal was authentic conversations to challenge our listeners. You won’t hear just one perspective. The viewpoints are true to what’s really going on in our neighborhoods.
For 101.7 The Truth, you had been Director of Content but have been recently named director of community relations. The radio format consists of talk shows with on-air Black hosts. Who is your predominant audience and how would you describe the station’s content?
Our predominant audience is the Black community. Our content comes from a Black perspective. But we’ve found that people who are not Black also listen to our shows because they want to hear stories about people who are different.
How would you describe those talk shows? You seem to have a variety of talk show host personalities who tackle different subjects from current events to entertainment.
Well, not all African Americans think the same or even talk the same. We thought it was important to have shows that speak to different age and political groups. Our mid-morning host, Sherwin Hughes covers politics. Sherwin has managed to bring on interesting guests like Kamala Harris. The early afternoon host, Tory Lowe, has had Senator Ron Johnson in the studio. Our drive time afternoon host, Dr Ken Hughes, brings an older perspective with his impressive education and police background.
You recently did a small shakeup of your talk show hosts and their time slots.
Yes, we have moved our noon hosts, Ben Jammin and Noni Juice, to morning drive time to attract younger listeners, the millennials. They discuss entertainment, pop culture, sports, and humor.
Those two are young, and I think they add a kind of Black vernacular language in their bantering, which can be quite funny.
Yes, yes. And their morning show will relate to the world of younger people. But they do cover politics from time to time, and also humor. For example, Carrie got the chance to interview Bucks players to see if they knew Milwaukee slang.
Here is a quote from you: “At the 101.7 The Truth, we look to provide a marketplace where authentic conversations can challenge and inspire everyone. The station is led by Black people for Black people, but everyone is welcome.” Can you expand on this?
Right now, you and I are at a coffee shop where people are having business meetings or socializing. We want to see our station sort of like the Sherman Phoenix where a lot of Black people meet and talk. We want our radio format to offer a kind of gathering place to get information and entertainment.
I have coffee now and then with Dr. Ken Harris, your afternoon drive time host. On one occasion, we spent the whole time talking about hate and racism, an older white guy and an older Black guy. We explained our prejudices and tried to understand where each of us was coming from. I figure that this is America, a blend of so many ethnic groups. Why wall ourselves off? Why not try to understand each other?
Yeah, I get it. As I’ve gotten older, my level of acceptance for things has grown and evolved. Ten years ago, I had trouble tolerating the transgender issue, but over time, I realized that if someone wants to be called something different or identify with a marginal group, I will now recognize them as who they want to be. As you get more mature, you should evolve. I am now proud that I evolved into tolerance on many levels.
You just launched your own new show, the daily 12-1 p.m. “Truth to Power with Kyle Wallace.” I think you wrote that the show amplifies diverse voices and perspectives, tackling a wide range of topics, from sports and culture to trending headlines and community issues. Tell me more about your new show.
I’m big on enlightening listeners, telling stories that some people might not know about. Whether a story is local or national, I give my opinion on it. I’m very opinionated. Each show will start with a topic, for instance, Inauguration Day and the Martin Luther King holiday happening at the same time on January 20th. Or I might talk about something simple, like me shopping at Sam’s Club. I bring up issues on immigration and how it impacts Milwaukee neighborhoods. Or the federal funding that will be coming to Wisconsin and Milwaukee with the change of congressional and executive power in Washington and how that impacts citizens and the elderly. I want to hold the politicians accountable. But I also talk about pop culture and sports. I take calls from listeners, and I give them a voice. I love Milwaukee, and I think there are a lot of things we can do and should be doing.
I’m an older white guy journalist, but I sometimes listen to your radio station to learn about Black culture and attitudes. What can you tell a white person about the Black culture as it relates to your Black talk radio format?
On our radio station, we try to show listeners who we are on a day-to-day basis, who we are as Black people. But we also focus on community issues, not just Black culture. Whatever is going on in Milwaukee, we try to talk about it.
Some of the national Black radio commentators and show hosts, I’m thinking of National Public Radio, seem to have an ax to grind regarding prejudice and civil rights. I get that because it is certainly justified. However, at 101.7 The Truth, the hosts seem to stay in the zone of Black life and everyday life. Not a lot of victim talk. Do I have that right?
We don’t talk much about Blacks being victims. I don’t see myself as a victim even though I have been less than fortunate as a minority. I also understand that life ain’t easy for everybody. When I look at Black people who have been victims of what has happened to our race in the past, I see people who are unable to get out of the cycle. They do experience struggles and trauma, but we do talk about DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion. When you hear white college students talking about racism happening toward them, you understand the breakdown, why certain programs are put in place to help people of color. When it comes to loans, for a long time, it was hard to get a home loan from a bank if you were Black. Or Black-owned homes got lower appraisals.
Besides your noon talk show, you are the co-host of the afternoon 94.5 FM ESPN sports talk show, Kyle, Brust & Nortman, in the 2-5 p.m. slot. The show features you, Ben Brust and Brad Nortman. What is that experience like?
It’s fun. I like hangin’ out with sports guys. I look forward to doing that show. We get lots of fans calling in.
I think sports involves a lot of humor, fans of each team teasing the opponent or complaining about their own teams. Instead of punching the other team’s fans, you yell at them. Sports is entertainment in so many ways.
That’s what I like about sports talk.
Podcasting in both audio and video, for example, Spotify and YouTube, seems to be the future of talk shows. Do you agree?
Yeah, I think that is the future. Our 101.7 The Truth is streaming on YouTube, all our talk shows. Our goal is to be on streaming formats that more people are going to. We are constantly thinking of what we can do to improve our YouTube platform. My generation and the younger one likes YouTube and podcasting.
I’ve read that the younger generation, people under 30, gets more of their news on streaming than from newspapers and traditional TV news programs.
I still read newspapers online like the Milwaukee Journal. But I do think radio will be around forever because it’s current.
Tell me about your other job at the 101.7 station, Director of Community Relations.
It is an opportunity to do the things I love. I try to connect with the Milwaukee area and build connections so we can tell more stories about the community and highlight happenings. We are going to have partnerships with organizations trying to help Black life, perhaps bring in young interns to learn broadcasting. Milwaukee Area Technical College is one example.
You were recently named one of Wisconsin’s 40 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2024 by Madison 365, a nonprofit news organization that covers communities of color in Madison and the state. What does that mean for you?
I look at that award as recognition for the great work our 101.7 The Truth team put in this last year in 2024. We’ve had coverage from the New York Times, the BBC, and CNN. We’ve had interviews with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Ron Johnson and other influencers. I love radio. This is what I’ve dreamed of, growing up.